who wants to be a truck driver when they grow up.

[JohnRoberts]

There seems to be worldwide shortages of truck drivers.

The UK is using military to make fuel deliveries because there aren't enough truck drivers.

There are backlogs in several major US container ports because they don't have enough truck drivers to unload and move out the containers.

There are several factors contributing to this shortage including the normal suspects (covid, uncertain economic rebound, supply chain issues affecting Christmas restocking, etc).

Just like high minimum wages drove automation for fast food order taking, this will light a fire under self driving trucks. I wonder if some variant on drone piloting could allow people to drive trucks remotely. Crude self-driving automation could probably keep them in the right lane after safely on the motorway.

or not...

JR

 

[living sounds]

In Germany there has been a shortage of train drivers for years because politicians/railway CEOs told people basically not to bother to seek the qualification because self-driving trains were on the horizon...

 

[ruffrecords]

I read there is a shortage of something like 400,000 lorry drivers in Europe as a whole. I suspect many were self employed and hence received little or no support from their government during Covid. Many have now moved on to become delivery van drivers for which there was a huge demand during Covid and they have no desire to go back to driving big vehicles.

In the UK, the Inland Revenue closed a loophole that allowed some people to hide behind a limited company and pay themselves only in dividends. They now have to contribute National Insurance and income tax the same as everyone else so many have left the industry altogether.

Cheers

Ian

 

[pucho812]

we lost alot of the truck drivers in california due to passing legislation called AB5(assembly bill) in the california state legislator.
It basically turned all truck drivers in the state from independent contractors to being employees which caused a lot of problems. While it was designed for the uber and lyft drivers, it had language which was overly broad and caused issues in all areas of business using independent contractors. Then covid shutdowns came in and made it worse.

 

[hodad]

Just like high minimum wages drove automation for fast food order taking, this will light a fire under self driving trucks.

JR

Yes. People should be more like robots. People need sleep, and rest breaks, and food, and they need money to pay rent or mortgages. People must be eliminated from the workplace! Only robots from henceforth!

 

[Brian Roth]

Yes. People should be more like robots. People need sleep, and rest breaks, and food, and they need money to pay rent or mortgages. People must be eliminated from the workplace! Only robots from henceforth!

Like it or not, it's been happening for decades. Think of all the factory jobs that no longer exist.

Bri

 

[scott2000]

Cool as long as there are no ED-209s running around.

 

[JohnRoberts]

If people need money maybe drive a truck, not that hard.

If they are disabled, maybe become a drone pilot to drive a robot truck (but those don't exist yet, only in my imagination).

JR

 

[shabtek]

there has been a war on US commercial drivers (CDL) for the past 30 or more years with the licensing regulations--stricter regulations may apply even when not driving a commercial vehicle depending on state...it is not fun or easy to drive truck, it is a way to make decent money and not work in a cubicle but there are significant occupational hazards.
I don't see a fleet of automated heavy haulers over the road happening--the railroads do that but they have infinitely fewer variables to contend with.
battery powered OTR is unlikely too IMO...what size storage cell is equivalent to 200gal. diesel? how long would it take to recharge? how long would said cell last? at what cost?

 

[JohnRoberts]

For years I have been advising against considering truck driving as a career because driverless trucks appear inevitable, ironic now to see commerce hampered in different countries due to lack of (human) truck drivers.

JR

 

[Brian Roth]

I regularly drive to go see Mom in OKC, and while this is the worst example I saw via Youtube, I've seen similar BS over the years.



Yes, meth was apparently involved. Robo trucks please vs. meth heads driving.

Bri

 

[hodad]

Like it or not, it's been happening for decades. Think of all the factory jobs that no longer exist.

Bri

Sure. It's been happening for a couple of centuries(look up the Luddites if you're unfamiliar). But that doesn't mean truckers and fast food workers etc. shouldn't be treated with dignity and humanity and reasonably compensated for their work until the machines take over.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Sure. It's been happening for a couple of centuries(look up the Luddites if you're unfamiliar). But that doesn't mean truckers and fast food workers etc. shouldn't be treated with dignity and humanity and reasonably compensated for their work until the machines take over.

Thanks for the historical interlude... Interesting how the word "Luddite" has evolved from the original factory workers who destroyed textile machinery, thinking that would save their weaving mill jobs. Now it is a pejorative describing people who are dismissive of new technology.
===
It is interesting to watch the gig driving companies like Uber and Lyft... It is, or should be apparent to anyone paying attention that their long term business models do not include human drivers. They can't get self-driving cars fast enough.
===
I don't know about dignity or humanity, but truck drivers and fast food workers are getting paid hiring bonuses these days because of simple supply and demand. These driver shortages are probably transitory (just like inflation ).

JR

 

[scott2000]

I regularly drive to go see Mom in OKC, and while this is the worst example I saw via Youtube, I've seen similar BS over the years

Yeah when I was working oot and had a few hr drive to and from each week, I eventually elected to take a longer route that avoided where most of the big rigs were. It was crazy although most of the stuff was probably fatigue induced.

fast food workers etc. shouldn't be treated with dignity and humanity and reasonably compensated for their work until the machines take over

Does the compensation go both ways or are there bonuses for the dried up hour old patties with the cold buns and cheese?lol

 

[shabtek]

you ever get held up in traffic in an urban area because a semi truck is trying to back into an alley or loading dock? I cannot imagine AI dealing with the varied calculations involved; it would freeze up...truckers have to be dicks, meth withdrawal or not.

 

[fazer]

you ever get held up in traffic in an urban area because a semi truck is trying to back into an alley or loading dock? I cannot imagine AI dealing with the varied calculations involved; it would freeze up...truckers have to be dicks, meth withdrawal or not.

Articles I’ve seen suggest overland roads would be self driving with a pilot/driver taking over in urban areas for some time.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Articles I’ve seen suggest overland roads would be self driving with a pilot/driver taking over in urban areas for some time.

as a possible interim strategy between now and that possible future we could allow long haul drivers to sleep in the bunk of their cab during long highway stretches when the self driving is practical. This could eliminate the conflicts with limits on permissible hours driving if they are only driving part of that time.
===

even longer term I could imagine virtual (drone like) pilots driving the trucks for last mile, delivery. I could imagine a loading dock manager taking over control of the rig in his yard. This doesn't make sense for consumer deliveries but commercial shipments should have receiving personnel motivated to get the inventory unloaded and secure.

Meaning no disrespect, I still don't consider truck driving a good long term career choice. Maybe a virtual truck driver.

I wouldn't expect to reach retirement as a driver for Uber or Lyft.

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

For more evidence of labor shortage I noticed a $500 hiring bonus sign in front of the McDonalds across from Walmart.

Advice for kids might be video games and drone piloting.

JR

 

[cyrano]

Anyone who can point out a truck driver that gets hired, gets 1000€ over here. The truck driver gets 2000€ bonus.

A lot of drivers were from the former east block. They can no longer get here, because of COVID. That's one thing.

A second thing is that an inordinate number of the drivers got COVID. They had to face the reality that some couldn't pay for health care, as conditions in the transport sector are often awful.

Because of COVID, some started thinking. I realised that as I was talking to a garbage truck driver yesterday. The industrial kind. They're over a month behind their schedule. The man I talked too, was considering changing jobs, as it was easy and he was starting to fear for his health, knowing next to nothing about his cargo. He told me he'd rather be transporting potatoes or something like it.

But it's not only drivers. The meat industry, especially poultry, can't find workers either. The same goes for fruit and vegetable harvesting.

There's always a point in history that the slaves realise that enough is enough...

 

[JohnRoberts]

There's always a point in history that the slaves realise that enough is enough...

Or civilized governments rule it illegal.

In the business news today, not much confirmation. link to one web story

US remote-control maker Universal Electronics Inc told Reuters it struck a deal with authorities in Xinjiang to transport hundreds of Uyghur workers to its plant in the southern Chinese city of Qinzhou, the first confirmed instance of an American company participating in a transfer program described by some rights groups as forced labour.

Reportedly there is human trafficking occurring across America's open southern border.

JR